Dawn Hunter's
by BringAttentionToTheMatter
Summary: Bella was different, the kind where you have superhuman abilities. Then Victoria Hunter knocked on her door and not offering an explanation invited her to 'Hunters school' in New York. Should she go? leave her group of friends and her mother. But it's for the best, just to escape her abusive Step Bastard and finally find out what she is, can she get the answers she longs for?
1. Chapter 1: The Fiery Hunter

_**Dawn Hunter's**_

_**Chapter 1: The Fiery Hunter.**_

Bella Dwyer had always been mature for her age; she had always been told she was mature for her age. Until last week, when her five thousand eight hundred and forty third day of a crappy life-with only four major traumas with two major reparations- rolled around, then her maturity wasn't strange or weird, she was more excepted my her peers, not that even her pinkie finger cared how she came off to the outside world. As her friend, Angelia, once said, 'They can all just go fuck themselves.' Which they could, Bella really wouldn't care what they did.

Bella still may have been more mature than most sixteen-year-olds in the greater Seattle area, but it wasn't so noticeable.

Until she conned her family to make her move school.

It was Victoria Hunter who made this possible, a cold, crisp, heavy late day in the middle of September when she appeared as if from thin air and knocked on Bella's door, her mother's door, whatever. Victoria wore black from head to toe, not like some emo Goth girl, she seemed to somehow make the outfit elegant. Black shoes, expensive comfy ones, stretchy leggings. And a black tank top with some sort of red embroidery on the left side of her chest. Bella happened to be the daring soul who opened the door to her, before anything was said Bella monitored the woman's slightly elevated heartbeat and the fact that there was no vehicle didn't escape her either. She wasn't from around here; that much was obvious, her clothes looked new.

Bella remembered the exact conversation which had transpired.

The doorbell rang, a shrill piercing sound which disturbed the peace and tranquillity of the steady safe air. Bella had gotten up from her perch on the torn second hand couch where she was watching _CSI _on a TV with barely any reception before it had stopped ringing and her mother, Renée, had shouted, "Honey, could you get that?" Renée never called Bella anything other than Honey, at least to her face, it was always Honey this or Honey that, Bella had always wondered why she was never called her real name, or any other nickname, always with the Honey.

Bella's petit creamy hand clasped around the door handle and opened the door ajar, pokeing her head out, there stood a fiery haired woman with eyes blacker than the night sky in the dead of winter. The woman blinked, and Bella noticed with a shutter that the night eyes morphed to that of the color of spring grass, way too green to be real. She was standing abnormally straight on the other side. A large grin plastered on her face, a grin too vast to be sporting around here, in a neighbourhood where no one had anything that good to smile about.

The woman had then commenced the one most memorable conversation Bella was ever a part of. "Hello Bella, is your mother or step father home?"

Bella opened the door wider and replied dumbly but cautiously. "Why does it sound like you already know the answer?" Bella should have asked how she knew her name, not even her name, her nickname no less, or how the woman knew Bella had a mother, like she didn't have a father(in this house . . . or earth) and that she had a step bastard.

The woman smiled knowingly, her eyes flickering around the front of the house, like she was only just seeing the pealing, falling walls now, the bullet hole right beside Bella's left hand, on the grey stone wall, or the dent in the door, looking distantly like a slash left with a knife. "Because I do." Bella would never forget those three words, she was sure. She wanted to ask if the woman knew it was just her mother was home, or if she knew something else, she looked like she knew, well, everything. She gave off that certain vibe, like she just _knew._

"Honey, who is it?" Renée was nice when Phil wasn't home, which was during the day mainly, sometimes at night, but he always came home in the same state. Bella winced at the 'Honey' again, she really hated that name.

Suddenly her mother was there, one hand on Bella's back, as if in warning, the other shaking the hand of this fire haired woman with perfect nails and skin, who knew impossible things about Bella. Bella was somewhat startled; she hadn't heard the thumping rhythm of Renée's heart as she approached, or her footfalls.

"I am Victoria Hunter, Mrs. Dwyer, vice principal of 'Hunter's school' NYC. Maybe you've heard of it, highly private school, Isabella here has earned a full grant to the school, very exclusive."

Victoria, this fiery haired hunter, had known precisely the right thing to say to Renée Dwyer, whose face lit up with unexpected interest; all Renée had heard was 'highly private', 'full grant' and 'very exclusive'. Then, the light in Renée's eyes crumpled like limp, wet paper faster than it had shown on her face.

"Wouldn't we have gotten a letter 'bout it? Why'd you come all the way from New York?" Renée was suspicious, yet her voice betrayed how tired she looked and felt. It didn't stop her from being sure this was a hoax, she was making excuses, not believing her daughter was smart enough, and she even closed the door slightly, pushing Bella back behind her.

That was Bella's theory, Bella knew how her mother thought, she had almost seventeen years of knowing her mother well enough to know how she thought, she didn't even need the time really, she only needed five minutes to know exactly how someone thought. She could get into every nook and cranny of someone's mind. But she had to ask herself, did she want that? To know someone's every thought? Sometimes, it wasn't pretty. But then, of course, what was?

Victoria's answer was simple. "Plane ticket, we don't trust the mail." Something about the answer intrigued Bella, why would anyone not trust the mail? Anyone would be hesitant to post something like a plane ticket, but they still would. Did this Victoria Hunter come all the way from New York City to Seattle? Bella wondered who the 'we' was exactly, she would have asked, but her mother rained acidly on her parade, once again.

"How'd you know she'll go? The school year has already started." she turned her nose up at the woman. Renée was a shallow person. She used to be warm hearted, back when she could afford heating bills; she still looked the same as the younger Renée Bella remembered, the one who ripped her away from her last house, hoping she was doing the right thing, being totally obvious. Renée looked beyond her years, now. Her cheekbones were high and angular, her nose was straight and perfect, and she had minimal freckles and pale skin, lovely pale skin. But the grey bags fixed under her eye sockets brought her up a few years.

"We're confident." Victoria's eyes turned to slits, she looked more sinister that way. _A cat. _Bella decided, _Victoria Hunter looks like a cat about to pounce._ "Throw the ticket away if she decides she doesn't want to go." She dared, all Bella could think was, _Yes,_ she noticed. _If I don't want to go._ Like her opinion would matter anyway, Phil would probably want to sell the ticket, make some money. "Here's something for you to look at." She handed Renée a booklet, and Bella the exact same one, Bella had already decided not to look at it, that was when the harshly sharp pain radiated throughout her head, like one quick stab, and Victoria's voice fluttered throughout her head, like an unpleasant prickle, Bella felt slightly invaded.

_Look, LOOK at the damn paper Bella._

Bella swayed slightly, she knew she was safe.

Victoria's voice was shrill, snappy and slightly sarcastic running through her mind, but it comforted Bella some, yes, Bella was safe, she discreetly nodded at this woman whom she now looked up to slightly, not wanting her mother to see, she was not as freaked out as she should have been, to anyone else-_anyone_-they would be freaking the hell out right now, but not Bella, she was used to the weirdness.

Weird was basically Bella's middle name. She was a fair haired blushing four-year-old with a face full of freckles and a mouth full of missing teeth when she had deemed herself weird. That's when the first life changing event in her life happened, and Bella snapped, one day, she was a normal kid, the next, she could hear hushed conversations from far away, that was her first power, the super human hearing. The mind reading ability came later, Bella soon realized what triggered them, and tried to avoid the unavoidable traumatising life situations.

But if Bella was right, she had two abilities unaccounted for, and that frightened her sometimes, when she really thought about it.

Her mind reading wasn't a constant stream of minds, no, just one mind at a time, whatever thought she wanted, all of them, ones from last year, the year before, or the current ones but only when she chooses, that's what was weird about Victoria, Bella hadn't chosen to hear her, Victoria had forced those thoughts into her head.

That was the best, most fulfilling moment as of yet in Bella's life, when she knew she wasn't alone in this world; she wasn't the only one who had powers, abilities, secrets, who was different, weird. And when Victoria turned around in a sudden, sharp turn and started jogging away Bella had decided her mind was made up; she would go to that school, if anything, just to get answers.

And Phil wasn't going to stop her.

**New story! Should I continue? Updates depend on if people like it and want more, review! Thank you ;)xxx**

**-BATTM**


	2. Chapter 2: From Green to Dawn

_**Dawn Hunter's**_

_**Chapter 2: From Green to Dawn.**_

That night, Bella was treated to the sound of her step bustard shouting while her mother pleaded with him to let Bella live in New York. Bella cared for Renée, but she did not love her, not like you were meant to love your mother. Renée knew this, and the feeling wasn't really mutual, Bella knew Renée cared more about Bella than she did for her. So she was happy to risk pain to get Bella sent away, just to make her, Bella's, life a little less miserable.

Bella came out of the cold, damp bedroom that burned her nostrils with the smell of damp and cleaning supplies. The basement, not the ideal sleeping arrangement, but better than the ground, at least Bella had a bed in the basement. Which, in Phil's words, she should be grateful for. Bella was grateful for a lot of things, her health, er, music, yes, she was definitely grateful for music. She was just happy she could listen to music, if Angelia hadn't bought her those white headphones for Christmas two years ago Bella would be screwed.

Bella measured her steps carefully, she was able to space them out perfectly with her enhanced sight, when you can see everything, it helps. When Bella was seven, and she passed out from an anxiety attack, when she woke, the air was clear, and her clumsy phase flew out the window. She had sudden balance; it came with the eyesight. She walked right into the kitchen, to her right was a wall of fake wooden presses, there was five in a row, two of which were missing the doors, a few sad tins of food displayed. The countertop, white and cracked, looked rather drab and sad. If Heidi was there, she would have dragged Bella back downstairs until they had done fighting. Then again if Heidi was there Bella wouldn't even consider leaving Seattle.

Bella leaned against the wall, looking on as they spoke back and forth, not even bothering to try and keep their voices down. Bella could tell they knew she was there, but no one acknowledged her presence, which irritated her, she was just standing there, watching spit fly and tears fall.

"No Renée, there will be hidden expenses, I'm not wasting any money on that bitch." Phil snarled, Phil only ever snarled, Bella was used to it, she was used to Phil shouting, and Renée crying, but the one thing she would never forget was the missing place at the dinner table.

"There aren't, baby, they even buy her uniform, it's a better school, completely free, it's nothin' I've ever seen before, it's _completely free._" Renée tried to soothe, but Phil was not to be tamed, he proceeded to grab her wrist tightly, sending a cutting pain the entire length of Renée's arm. Bella saw and heard the wince and she balled up her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

"It's okay," Bella piped up, flexing her fingers when she felt the wetness of blood pool in her palm. Renée's eyes snapped to her's, frightened, Phil's eyes were hateful . . .dead, glazed over with the influence of alcohol. "I really don't want to go anyway, I have friends here, I don't want to leave them, it would be bad, I want to stay here, not in New York." Bella may have lied about the not wanting to go part, but she wasn't about the friends thing, that would be the hardest, part leaving her friends, who were more family than she had now.

Phil smiled maliciously. "What date is on that ticket?"

Bella didn't answer with this coming Saturday, instead she hid her smile. That was how Bella got things in this god awful house, she twisted her body to the side and gaged watching Phil as he used the hold on Renée's wrist to pull her to him and stick his tongue down her throat. Bella didn't know if she gagged because 1) Phil had grabbed her mother's already bruised wrist, 2) Phil had shoved his mother and his tongue in unwanted areas within three seconds; 3) he had looked at her, or 4) the smell of bear and bile.

It was probably all four.

She couldn't climb down the stairs fast enough; she could never get away from Phil fast enough. She ignored the ache in her ribs that sprang into action whenever she dared to move the muscles in her legs. Bella heard the loud metallic clash from the kitchen and decided she would skip dinner that night. The prospect of walking back up the devil stairs didn't appeal to greatly to her anyway.

She glanced at the booklet Victoria had given her, with 'Hunter's School' displayed in big, flaunting black lettering. Before she could process anymore, her phone buzzed in her pocket. It was from her only real friend, Angelia, a shy girl with glasses hiding her dark eyes. She was quiet, but very honest; she told you what she thought of you. She would be the only thing Bella missed when she went to New York. Her text was simple.

_B, I'm cold ;) _

Bella reached the last step and looked around at the lime green lino on the concrete floor, the walls were red brick, Bella could almost see her breath in the air, When she was a child it didn't matter as much how cold it was, because if you are an imaginative little girl, and you breathe out, it's not cold, you're a dragon, now, though, now it's just freezing. She pulled on the sleeves of her top, as if it would give her more warmth, and sat on her single bed, sitting on one leg, the other dangling off the side of the uncomfortable mattress.

Once she had found her place, and was sure she only had five minutes before her leg went to sleep, she tapped her black painted fingernail against the side of her phone, pondering her reply. Finally deciding on a simple question.

_Why?_

Bella didn't know exactly why she asked this, maybe she was just curious to know why her best friend was cold, and obviously it wasn't the same reason as Bella. Angelia lived in a three bedroomed house, nothing fancy, but still three bedrooms, above ground too. Plus, Angelia could afford heating bills. Her response was quick, like it had already been typed, five minutes before Bella had even tried to send hers.

_All of my windows are open. ;)_

_Ang, close the damn windows._

_Nooooo, I like the sound of rain, B, you know this._

_Yes, but you should still close the window, you're basically inviting the axe murderer into your house._

_I have a baseball bat hidden under my blanket._

Bella snickered, Imagining Angelia curled up under a blanket with a baseball bat, staring out the window at the rain, listening to the sound as it hit against the window. Bella heard a set of heavy footsteps slithering their way down the stairs, she hadn't even heard the basement door opening.

_G2g, Ang, Voldemort is on the rise._

Voldemort, aka, Phil, aka, step bustard, Bella quickly slipped her phone under her pillow, her one contraband, Angela and some choice people were the only ones who knew of Bella's phone, if Renée or Phil knew, they would most likely smash it, and Bella spent nearly two years saving for her phone, she wasn't going to risk it.

She looked back at the booklet she had grasped tightly in her hands, pretending like she had been reading it the whole time, when she saw it. 'Hunter's school' was no longer on the page, well it was, technically, but the letters were now written in fancy red lettering, blood red lettering, the word 'Dawn' was also added to the title. "Dawn Hunter's school." She muttered, the paper had been a light green and white, but it had turned black, with red calligraphy.

_Was this a new power? _Bella wondered. But no, she decided, nothing triggered it, it couldn't be a new power. Unless it was a new power she was only learning about now, she was missing two powers. But she didn't know how these things worked, you could only sometimes get the abilities.

She quickly grabbed a school book at random, looking at it, staring intently at it, then looking away, and glancing back.

Nothing.

She let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding.

"Isabella." Phil grunted, now at the bottom of the stairs. Bella winced at the mention of her full name, she never liked it, plus it reminded her of Heidi, she hated being reminded of Heidi. "You are going to that school, it will be good for you. Maybe put a bit of manners on you, it says they have a hard training programme to make sure all their students keep in shape, maybe they could help you lose some of that flab." Now, Bella was not fat, at all, if anything she was slightly underweight, Bella knew this, She was a skinny, small girl with boring brown hair and matching eyes, even though his words hurt, you do not argue with Phil.

"Yes, Phil." She gritted out through her teeth, trying not to cry in frustration. Phil was well built and tall, stronger than Bella and Renée combined. His high cheekbones and structured jawline, sandy blond hair, only fourteen years older than Bella. She knew what Renée saw in Phil, with his appearance. But Bella refused to believe Renée married that monster because of his looks, though it was the best thing about him. And that wasn't saying much.

Bella knew what was happening seconds before it happened. His heartbeat increased, his face became red with Anger, and his steps over to her were long strides, they had a purpose, a destination. His fists balled up in her shirt, pulling her up so she was standing on the bed, even with this new height, she had to crank her head up slightly to look him in the eye. Her leg was asleep and hard to stand on.

"I want," He hissed, his words starting to slur a bit. "you to respect me, and your mother. What have I told you to call me?"

"Sorry." Bella gulped, struggling slightly. Her position was starting to get uncomfortable. She had few clothes which weren't ripped, this was one of her favourites, and he was tearing it, his knuckles were digging into her already sore bruised ribs painfully, cutting into the battered, thin flesh. "It won't happen again," She assured, she didn't want to say the next word, it left a bad metallic taste in her mouth, but for good measure she added, "dad."

He loosened his grip slightly, and Bella found she wasn't breathing, so she took a quick breath and stopped again. Phil let go of her and opened his arms wide, Bella was unsure of what was happening. So she did something she rarely did, and took a jump into Phil's mind, just for a second, just to know he was rewarding her, _as if_, she had called him dad, so he was going to hug her.

She was frozen.

Bella had never hugged Phil before; Phil had never laid a hand on her, unless of course it was in anger. And Bella could see that anger building right back up behind his eyes. But she was still, she felt sick. And the nausea only got worse when Phil leaned in and hugged her stiff body. Tight. Her eyes popped wide and she could barely breathe with the force of it. And his arms only seemed to tighten around her.

Why couldn't one of her abilities be strength? That would certainly be helpful right now. But her wish quickly changed. When he leaned in and kissed her forehead, an ugly warm pressure, she suddenly wished her power was no gag reflex. Getting sick on Phil would not be good.

He let her go then, his hand went to her face and she was pushing her back so she lost her footing on the springy mattress and fell backwards, the crack as his hand made contact with her cheek, and the force of her head as it hit the wall seemed to echo throughout the basement, so did Phil's footsteps. As he walked away.

Bella didn't even notice the stinging in her face until he was halfway gone. The fiery burn which took up the left side of her face. Or the blood taste in her mouth. Bella could read minds, see and hear more than any normal person could, and now apparently change the color of paper. But she would be damned if she could duck to avoid a hand, or stop her left eye from streaming a never-ending waterfall. She was slumped against the wall, clutching her thumping head. If she had just moved, avoided the slap that resulted in a head bag, a bloody bitten cheek, and a half red hand print of a face.

She scrambled off her bed, over to where her mother kept the cleaning supplies in the corner. She ignored the giant ass spider beside a gray bucket as she grabbed it, and then hugged the bucket to herself, her head hung over the opening, dry retching.

Or, at least everything was dry until about five minutes into the heaving, where she vomited, thinking she might have a concussion, but she could also be sick from disgust. Disgust from him touching her, and not in anger, though there was some anger.

No, it was probably the concussion.

She got up a minute later, her head pounding like nobody's business. Her vision was slightly blurred. She had had plenty of concussions before, and she knew this was one. Knowing Angelia would be worried she checked her phone she had switched onto silent, everything was hard to read. She had three messages, which she opened, blinking a few times at the screen.

_Ok, good luck, c u!_

_Is he gone? Tell me!_

And the last one was the worst.

_I swear to god Isabella Marie Swan Who-The-Hell-Changed-Your-Last-Name-To-Dwyer, answer me or I will presume the worst, I do not have enough money for a funeral, and I know to hell your mom and Step Bustard don't either, so everything is wrong and I can't breathe, answer me!_

Bella answered her quickly, trying to stay alert. Knowing she couldn't tell her mother she was concussed and she couldn't go to the hospital either.

_I am ok, stop with the freak out,_

The response troubled Bella.

The response was Angelia's face flashing across her screen, her face smiling and happy. Of course that was before she realised Bella took a surprise photo of her and set it as her contact picture.

Bella's finger dragged lazily across the bottom of the screen, she held the phone up to her ear.

"Ang?" She whispered, wondering why the other line was silent.

"B." Angelia answered, her voice cold.

"I have a concussion."

"Bitch." Angelia said. "Would you have told me if I hadn't rung?"

"No." Bella grumbled, laying her head on her pillow genteelly, her eyes closed, but then opened, she could not drift off like that, she had to stay conscious. "I can lie via text, not to someone's face."

"You mean voice."

"Precisely." Bella sighed. "I really am okay though."

"Apart from the concussion, which could kill you."

"I highly doubt that." Bella rolled her eyes. "God, Ang, you are such a hypochondriac."

"Don't drop the 'H' bomb on me, B, I'm only a hypochondriac when it involves you, Step Bustard, and a _concussion._" Bella smiled at her friend's rant.

"He hugged me." She admitted.

"He _what? _That's it, I'm coming over." Bella heard rustling in the background.

"Don't be stupid." She snapped suddenly.

"I'm not stupid." Angelia snorted. "I still have my bat." Bella could hear the smile in Angelia's voice, and she couldn't help crack one herself.

"That doesn't make you any less stupid." Bella paused. "How are things going with you and Demetri?" She wanted attention to get off of her, she hated attention.

"Crap." Angelia laughed. "He wanted me to meet his parents . . .at Christmas."

"Oh my god really?" Bella laughed. "It's _September, _Ang, you guys went on two dates."

"Tell me about it." Angelia giggled. "Look, B, I have to go, Josh just fell, I think, or Isaac." There was a five year old boy's wail in the background; the sound seemed to punch its way through Bella's brain.

"Yikes!"

"I know, I could kill mom for having identical male twins, I swear. Talk to you tomorrow?"

"Yeah, Ang, I need to tell you something important actually." Bella turned serious, really dreading that conversation. 'Oh yeah, by the way Ang, on Saturday I am moving schools to New York!'

"You're not breaking up with me, are you?" Angelia joked.

"Wouldn't dream of it, baby."

"Love you, creep." Angelia sung before hanging up. A heavy weight pressed down on Bella, the thought of leaving her Best friend, the one who had always been there for her, who knew everything. Well not everything. She knew of Phil, she knew of the Honey name, she knew of her mother's bruises, she knew of Bella's many concussions, and she knew that Bella lived in a basement. She did not however, know Bella could read minds, or had weird superhero abilities.

Bella had never read Angelia's thoughts, to be fair Bella knew all of her thoughts anyway, Angelia did not hold back, when they first met Angelia was so scared of high school she didn't talk, like at all, but Bella worked her way in there, and now, when Angelia was with Bella, she couldn't stop talking. Of course Bella and Angelia have more friends, just none as close as each other.

There was Jane Viper, a vibrant, small, bleach blond girl who was slightly creepy, but a loyal friend, she was funny but never asked Bella, or anyone for that matter, uncomfortable questions. She was good at keeping secrets, not like her brother, Alec, who was the biggest blab Bella had ever met, you could tell him nothing without everyone knowing not five minutes later.

Then there was Katie Pull, Bella definitely liked her more than Jane, but you couldn't trust her, which is why her and Alec make the perfect match. But that was their little group, along with sometimes Alec's friends, Demetri and Felix. Who Bella didn't know that well.

When Bella glanced back at that booklet, it was still black, and she was suddenly thrust back into the world of the unknown. She looked human, sure, but what human had these abilities? She couldn't be human, but that left the more pressing question, what was she?

She held up the booklet, hoping for it to give her the answers, or just some answers . . .little did she know . ..

A single paged pamphlet slipped out of the bigger one, falling through Bella's fingers, it was the same green as the booklet was before, she turned it, the same green; she must be going crazy. She glanced back at the booklet, green, it was a lime green, 'Hunter's school' displayed proudly as the title. No Dawn. No black. No red.

She glanced back at the single pamphlet, now Black with red writing.

She was starting to get creeped out. The blood in her ears pounding to the sound of her heart, which she could hear perfectly. Which she could always hear, since she was four.

Was this paper to do with her super human sight? All the thinking was giving her a headache, some of which was partly due to the concussion. Was this some new power she was only discovering now? She didn't know, but did she want to find out?

That question, and many others ran through Bella's head that night, as she drifted into unconsciousness, she prayed it was the sleep taking over her, and not the damn concussion.

**Please review, or I won't know if you like it, I don't know if I should continue, please tell me? Thank you ;)xxx**

**-BATTM**


	3. Chapter 3: Creepy Nice Loner Selfie

_**Hunter's School**_

_**Chapter 3:**_ _**Creepy Nice Loner Selfie**_

That Monday Bella dressed in tattered baggy blue jeans, black high top converse with a hole in the heel of the right one, and a hold in the toe of the right one. She was wearing the same grey T-shirt from yesterday, the one Phil had manhandled. Her head wasn't throbbing when she woke up, it was just a minor concussion, she decided, smaller than minor. Her ribs were aching, but they usually were.

Phil had gone to work when she got up the stairs, her backpack slung across her back. He was a furniture delivery man, one that should send you running for the hills on one menacing blue-eyed, icy glance. Bella chewed on her lip when she glanced briefly in the mirror beside the front door on her way out. It was cracked in three segments, each line having its own vanishing point. Bella remembered that day. When Renée 'stumbled' and hit her head off the mirror, cracking the bottom right hand corner like a spider web. Renée had to get three stitches. Phil was ecstatic she had to go to hospital.

So ecstatic in fact Renée had to go back to hospital the next day, only that time with a broken arm. She went to a different hospital though, so the doctors wouldn't recognize her, they did question her about why it said she had been to a hospital the day before, Bella didn't know how her mother replied to it.

The whole left side of Bella's face was red. At least it wasn't bruised, or shaped like a hand or fingers. It could have been worse. "Honey," Bella heard just as her hand itched towards the door. "is that you?"

_Of course._ Bella's thoughts held a vast amount of sarcasm, she bit her tongue to stop from saying it. _Who else would it be?_

"I'll clean up your room while you're gone." Renée had approached her, and Bella didn't want to know. She wished Renée had just cleaned up the bucket without telling her, or just waited until she got home to do it herself.

Bella reached for the handle quickly, jerking open the door before she could be reached, but she stopped dead in her tracks, her breath hitching and her heart skipping a beat, there stood, rather proudly, a knee high black suitcase, on the front 'Hunter's school' displayed in red stitching, the letters were sitting on what liked like a red embroidered ribbon, swaying in the wind. When Bella blinked, 'Dawn' appeared above the other words, and it stayed there, no matter how many times Bella blinked.

"Hunter's school," Renée muttered, letting Bella know she didn't see the Dawn. "why would they leave it here? Someone could just take it!" Bella unscrambled what Renée really implied, with the amount of shock in her voice. What she really meant was 'How long has it been here for? And how the hell is it still here?'

Which is a very good question in a neighbourhood like this, where when you step out the door you run the risk of having the clothes off your back stolen, literally, it happened to Heidi once.

Renée grabbed the bag before Bella could; her mother's sudden movement caused Bella to spin on the spot so the two women were face to face. The back of Renée's hand grazed Bella's reddened check, trembling over the mark. Bella shuddered and shied away from her mother's touch. The hand travelled up to Bella's hair where Renée smoothed down Bella's side fringe, lingering momentarily on the small clip holding back strands of Bella's hair from her face. A little white and pink daisy perched on the end of the silver metal.

"Did you buy that?" Renée asked, looking at the clip with a strange longing. "Or is it Heidi's."

Bella flinched at the name. "It's hers," She nodded. "she left two of them."

"Yes, well," Renée's hand went limp at her side and she looked to the ground. "that school, the New York one, something about it seems . . . off." Renée raised her blue eyes to search Bella's. "But it's better than here." Her fingers were back on Bella's marred cheek, still quivering. "I'll ring your school today, tell them you have to go live with your great aunt or something. And I'll leave this under your bed." Renée sighed, patting the suit case.

Yes, under the bed, not in the room, if it was just in the room, Step Bastard would not think rationally and assume something bad, like Renée had bought it, or was leaving him.

_As if, _Bella snorted at her thoughts. _The day Renée leaves Phil; she would have to leave this world. She really loves him, god knows why._

Bella nodded at her mother who was never really a mother but was forgiven by Heidi so therefore forgiven by Bella, and stated walking the two blocks to Angelia's house. She thought about that night, two years ago, December twenty-ninth.

When all hell broke loose, when Bella broke her arm, when someone broke her arm. No surprise guesses there, Renée protected Phil, but she was protecting the old Phil, the one she fell in love with, the nice Phil who bought Renée nice cheap jewellery that she loved, the man who bought Bella a schoolbag when her's broke, the Phil who would have mourned with Renée and Bella, not hit them.

Renée wanted to shield the man she fell in love with, but he wasn't here anymore. And in the process she ruined her daughters. She should have kicked him out the day he hit her.

_He should have left the day he hit me and Heidi. _Bella thought, kicking a stray rock along the pavement, harder then she needed to. _God. _She sighed, stepping in front of Angelia's house. _Renée really did have the worst taste in men, she still does._

"Izzy." Angelia slandered, running from her house and into Bella's arms, nearly knocking her over.

"You're very touchy-feely today." Bella noted, letting Angelia go, her friend handed her a pop tart, only slightly warm. "Not a wise move, for me to have had my hands around you right after you called me Izzy." Bella took a bite, the flavour was slightly off with the lingering taste of toothpaste in her mouth, but she wasn't complaining.

"Sorry." She sung, sounding the furthest from sorry anyone ever has. "But I wanted one last hug, especially since you're breaking up with me today."

Angelia laughed, and Bella should have laughed, but she was silent, which caused Angelia to stop dead in her tracks, Bella walked three steps ahead of Angelia, and turned around slowly, a sheepish expression on her face.

"_Omigod_!" Angelia gasped, and looked to be holding back tears. "You really _are _breaking up with me, B, what's wrong?"

"I'm moving to N-Chicago." She felt her lips move, and heard the words, but it felt like someone else was saying them, not her, not to her teary eyed best friend. She had tried to say New York, but a choking sensation stopped her; it was almost as if she wasn't allowed to tell her.

"What happened? Tell me everything, and don't pretend I didn't notice your face."

Bella sighed. "Okay, just, we need to walk and talk to get to school in time." She couldn't be late, Phil would know.

"School, fucking smhool, Bella Swan, tell me." Bella smiled, she liked when Angelia said her second name, her _real _name, not the one Phil had forced on her, though her mother was the one who technically changed it.

"I will." Bella insisted. "On the way to school." It's not like she wanted to go to school, but she would rather sit in a classroom, watching a clock which seemed to always stop whenever you gazed at it too long, which is all anyone ever did, then face Phil when he found out she skipped class.

Bella proceeded to tell Angela about Victoria, about her green eyes, about 'Hunter's school' about the slap, the concussion, what caused all of this, and finally, the suit case, but for some reason, 'New York' didn't pass her lips, not once. "They must have paid someone to leave it there, there was no shipping address, they don't trust the mail, whoever they are." Bella told her.

"Well," Angelia took a deep, shaky breath, it looked like her lungs were on fire and her hands wouldn't stop shaking. "I'm gonna miss you, bro."

"How long have you been waiting to say that to me?" They were almost at the school now, Angelia's heartbeat was frantic, she looked calmer then her heart, but Bella knew she was breaking inside.

"Since last night." She sniffled. "I had a feeling something was wrong, but I'm happy."

They were outside the school now, they paused, using these last few seconds of silence preciously. Bella placed her hand on her heart, pouting. "I'm hurt."

"Happy you're getting out of here. B, Chicago, I swear to the lord, child, if you do not bring me back a scarf I will go to Walmart, buy my own scarf and kill you with it."

"That's a bit pointless," Bella said, rocking back on er heals, the air getting in through the holes in her shoe's. "Such a waste of a scarf."

"Yeah you're right, maybe I won't kill you."

"Smart child."

"Are you really leaving on Saturday?"

"Yes."

"Can you take a picture of your face if this is all a hoax and there is no school and you've been played and the suitcase has a bomb in it, I want to see your face." Bella smiled, even though she knew that was a big possibility.

"Sure Ang," Bella rolled her eyes. "When I find the bomb in my bag the first thing I'll do is take a picture for you to laugh at."

"You should probably take a really nice selfie after that one though."

"And why would I take a creepy nice loner selfie?"

"Well if there really is a bomb in your bag, you don't want your last picture to be the look on your face when you're about to die."

Bella tapped her finger to her chin, cocking a hip she pretended to think for a moment. "You're right Ang, as usual!"

"I'm brilliant, I know."

Brilliant wasn't exactly the word Bella would have used . . .

It was lunchtime when Bella had everyone (Jane, Alec and Katie) together to tell them of her departing to New York, though 'Chicago' slipped through her lips again before she could stop it. She left out all the details really, explaining she had been 'accepted to a private school with a full grant.' Jane, Alec, Angelia, Katie and Bella stuck together, they had to, they knew what it was like. Only them.

Alec was the first to speak up, his mouth dropped open in shock, a few choice strands of his black hair flopping into his eyes. "But, what about my cat!?" Bella had been ready respond or reply to anything he said, or any question, but she was so confused for a moment she was just silent, not really knowing what to say.

Angelia was the first one to make some sense of the situation, she tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, the black color rivalling Alec, her deep eyes flickered to Bella's momentarily. "Al, what about your cat?"

"Who's going to feed it?"

"Al, I have never fed you cat." Bella said softly, seriously wondering where he got this idea from, like really. She took a bite of a ham sandwich that Angelia had given her, her mother always packed one for Bella, who was embarrassed, but didn't complain.

He looked flustered. "That's the problem!"

Jane's voice dominated the group next, smacking Alec lightly on the back of his head. "Alec you Idiot, you don't have a cat!" She was laughing, but looked at her brother with a slight hint of concern. The day was close, was it affecting him?

"Yes." He nodded, crossing his arms in a huff and sinking into his seat. "But if I did Bella was my first choice cat sitter!"

"Al, you don't have to make up fake cats to get me to stay."

"Well what do I have to do?"

"Kill my family?" Bella said it like a question so Jane, Alec and Katie laughed, and so did Angelia and Bella, but only they know the truth behind her words. Then, Bella's mind wondered, and imagined a Phil less life, it was a whole lot less interesting, that's for sure.

But Bella should have known better then to daydream in such a public place, because then thoughts were running through her head, and not her own. . .

_Is it a good sign Bella can joke about killing her family sixteen days before the day it happened?_ It was Katie, Bella had never read her thoughts, never read any of her friends thoughts, but when she let her mind wonder, when her thoughts dwindled, it's like her mind panics, and it just needs thoughts, so it steels someone's, this time it was Katie's, and it wasn't a very good thought.

Bella did the math in her head, and Katie was right, it was only sixteen days away . . .

Bella felt sick. Not really the same kind of sick as last night, but a sinking, guilty feeling. She knew the date was coming up, she knew it was soon, just not sixteen days soon . . .

"I need to pee." Angelia announced to the table, looking around at the circle of half of their friends. A few heads in the cafeteria turned to look, but quickly lost interest.

"And I don't need to know your bathroom habits." Alec snickered before his face sobered and became deathly serious. "But really though, I don't need to know."

"I'll go with you." Bella offered, standing up and pushing back in her chair.

"I did not need to know that either." Alec muttered with an eye roll. "Woman these days, share everything."

Jane laughed, her blond hair was pulled back from her face, a few strands hanging louse. "We don't share everything, just something, like right now I'm on my-"

"Whoa, whoa, nooooooooo, no, no, la, la, la, la, la. I need to find my guy friends." He jumped from the table with his tale between his legs, looking paler than usual, and like he might be sick. ''Bye, Katie.'' He got out over his shoulder.

"What is his problem?" Jane's face was red, trying not to laugh. "I was going to say on my book, see?" she pulled her science book out from under her. "To give me some height, I'm too short." She snorted.

"I hope it was worth it Jane," Angela said seriously, trying not to crack a smile. "you just scarred you twin for life, he'll never look at you the same again."

Jane shrugged, turning to Katie, who was full on laughing. "He'll live."

Bella was sure he would live, yes, but what life is it when you're a teenage boy and just heard _that _come out of your sister's mouth?

''Jesus, Jane, you were literally sitting on a book?'' Jane just smiled at Bella, her eyes saying 'Hell yes!' Because of course she was, it was just such a Jane move.

Bella never should have told Alec, she never knows how he does it, her and Angelia walked down the corridor for what seemed like the millionth time, yet everything seemed so much different, everyone knew of her departure. She had a mini heart attack when a boy from her class with sea blue eyes and sandy hair, Alistair, ran up to hug her, lifting Bella from the ground so her feet were suspended in mid-air as he said quietly in her ear.

''We'll miss you, Bella.'' Before dropping her and running off, sniggering to his friends.

Angelia's hand wrapped around Bella's bicep, steading her as she stumbled slightly after her feet hit the ground. ''He won't miss you.'' She snorted. ''It was just an excuse to rub up against you.''

Bella's nose scrunched up in disgust. ''God, Ang, not everyone think's like that.''

''No,'' she agreed. ''But he sure did.'' Angelia let go of Bella then, peering at her over her dark pink glasses, and Bella was hit with the sudden thought, Angelia could only guess what Alistair was thinking, Bella could only guess too, because she refused to go into the mind of a teenage boy, no, that was not for her, but the thing that got Bella, she could only guess his thoughts, but she didn't have to.

She didn't have to guess thoughts, but it was easier. Reading thoughts was a dangerous business. Knowing how people thought, knowing their secrets, Bella remembered the time she accidentally tapped into this man's brain, she was at the mall and the guy wasn't exactly thinking of fluffy bunnies and sparkling rainbow unicorns.

Bella wanted in that moment nothing else then to tell her best friend, the person who undoubtedly knew Bella better then herself, apart from her powers about them. She wanted to just blurt out when she got her first one, the hearing, when she was four, before she left with her mother and sister . . .

It physically hurt Bella to think about it, to just think about it and not say it, she wanted to say it, she needed to say it . . .

''You can't know what he thinks.'' Was all she could squeeze out, each syllable burned her throat and cut it raw, Bella had mastered her lying face, the poker face, but that didn't mean she liked lying. It felt like her insides were being torn out. She had no problem lying to Phil, or anyone she didn't like. But Angelia was different. Lying to her was like taking candy from a baby, easy, but made you feel like a pile of crap afterword's.

Angelia was oblivious to Bella's internal dilemma, or so it seemed.

''How would you know? B, I could be a master in telepathy for all you know.''

Bella just smiled, trying to not force it too much. If only she knew. But Bella's smile was hard to believe. Bella wanted Angelia to know, but she never could tell her, she didn't know what would happen, could people know about her? Was there more of people who had these abilities? Like Victoria? Could Bella tell Angelia? She wasn't going to risk it.

But the risk, in Bella's mind, couldn't be that bad right? What could happen? She realized the worst that could happen, and Angelia thinking she was crazy, now that wasn't worth it.

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed! If you review with the word** _Drink _**in your review, I will pm you a special chapter(around 2000 words) of what Edward is doing while all of this is going on, Please review! Thank you ;)xxx**

**-BATTM**


	4. Chapter 4: Creepy Notes And Sleepovers

_**Hunter's School**_

_**Chapter 4: Creepy Notes And Sleepovers.**_

Bella skipped dinner again that night; she spent her time in that dusky, murky basement. Mulling over everything. She inspected the suitcase closely before Step Bustard got home; her fingers ran over the scarlet threaded crest thing once again, not daring to take her eyes off of it, as if it might disappear. Which wouldn't surprise her at this point, nothing would.

She had found a note in the bottom of the front pocket. She was sure her mother had already read it, snooped through the bag, looking for clues as to what all this was about. Bella knew how much her mother wanted all this to be real, for a chance to get Bella away from Phil. Bella could just sense it off her, the desperate air that surrounded her was a dead giveaway. It's not like she wanted to send Bella away from her, just from Phil.

The note was only a line, one little line that changed everything.

_When Phil leaves, thing's will be waiting for you._

It definitely scared Bella, it felt as if her stomach was full of acid. Whoever these people were with Victoria, they knew. They knew to drop the things off once Step bastard. It scared Bella, of course it did. Was she being stalked? No, she would notice the signs, she would hear or see them, but how else would someone know that unless they had been watching the house? It didn't make sense.

Bella had tried to read the booklet left by Victoria, since she fell asleep last night before she could, but it was like, it wouldn't _let her, _she would be fine one minute, she could read the header, but whenever she even tried to read the small print, a blinding pain would radiate throughout her head, which lasted until she stopped looking at the booklet. It was weird, and Bella was starting to get worried, what was this place she was being sent to, if it was real? Who was this Victoria, or, _what _was Victoria? _What was Bella? _Bella didn't even know who she was.

She never knew, and she wondered if she ever would.

Bella lay in her bed, above the covers, fists clenched at her side, staring up at the ceiling, where there was a single glow-in-the-dark star, if she jumped, she could reach it. It was a tempting offer, it used to be Heidi's, she didn't want to leave only to come back and something of her sisters to be gone. She decided to bring everything her sister left with her. Not much. Phil had burnt most of it, not the clothes, well, only the too revelling ones, which meant the ones which even showed even a little bit of skin, short sleeved tops, shorts, dresses, Bella had managed to save one of the dresses though, a short dark blue one with three daisey' each on the shoulder. Bella never understood her sisters obsession with daisy's, she loved them, Bella? Not so much.

She made a check list in her head of her sister's things she should bring. Two clips, the dress, the star, the black pumps, the dark purple high heels and that silver bracelet with Heidi's name on it. They were the important stuff, the irreplaceable stuff, sure she could buy new ones, but they would be just new ones, they wouldn't be her sisters.

Even though Bella was weak, as in she was shaking she was so weak, she had only eaten a pop tart and a sandwich today, she unclasped her fists and with a sudden burst of energy she stood up and bounced once, twice, and jump, okay, she had a total fail in trying to get the star, she was shaking like a leaf now, so she flopped back down on the bed, vowing not to leave without Everything of Heidi's. She couldn't leave it, not in this house, not like this.

She was on the brink of sleep, trying to ignore the nagging pain in her stomach and the nauseated feeling when her phone buzzed, pulling her back from any sort of sleep she was about to have. Of course.

It was Angelia.

_See if you can sleepover Wednesday ;)xxx_

_Ang, it's a school might. _Bella replied, not really caring, until she saw the autocorrect.

_Ugh, _she typed. _*night*_

The reply was clear.

_Isabella. Go. Ask. Now!_

Bella went to ask, not bothering to reply to her overly enthusiastic friend.

She found Renée curled up on the couch next to Phil, watching the news, Bella hated the news, it only ever said such bad things really, well most of the news was about deaths; Bella didn't like to think of dead people.

''Mom.'' She said quietly. ''Can I sleep at a friend's house Wednesday?'' Bella didn't have much hope, she had only asked of this three times before, each time was a no, a straight out no.

That's why when this happened, she was wholeheartedly stunned.

''Phil, what do you think?''

''Which friend?''

Renée looked at Bella expectantly, almost as surprised as Bella, who realized she should answer. ''Um, Angelia.''

''Angelia's a girl, yes?'' He asked.

''Er, yes?'' It came out of Bella's mouth like more of a question; she was trying to think if Angelia was a unisex name, she didn't think it was, but it might be, even if it wasn't, you wouldn't know what gets on in Phil's head.

''Then you can go.'' Bella took that sentence in two ways, and left the room. She got down to her bed, and stared blankly at her phone for a minute, before numbly typing 'call me' to Angelia.

Her phone rang a second later, does Angelia just stare at her phone and wait for Bella to reply? Probably.

''Hello.'' Bella said.

''_Seven days .. ._But really though, B, hi.''

''Yeah, Hi.'' Bella was used to Angelia answering the phone by saying 'Seven days.' She did it a lot.

''What is happening?''

''Something messed up, Ang, he said yes.''

She squealed, Bella had to cover the speaker to block the noise. ''He said yes! We have so much to talk about!''

''Calm down.''

Angelia said something then, but it was muffled and Bella couldn't understand it. ''What was that.''

Angelia huffed. ''We're watching 'Carrie.'"

Bella shook her head. ''Why do you have such an obsession with horror movies.''

''I do not, besides, I don't think 'Carrie' is that bad.''

''Original or remake?'' Bella asked, she had seen them both, she had seen most horror movies, not that she liked them much, but Angelia wouldn't watch them by herself, so Bella got roped in.

''Remake, Ansel Elgort is in it.'' She said, Bella rolled her eyes.

''Right, so you do not have an obsession with horror movies, just with Ansel Elgort.''

''You know it.''

Bella laughed. ''I didn't know he was in that movie.''

''He is that guy, you know, the one who died via bucket.''

''Yes, well, spoiler alert.''

''You've seen it before, hey, we need to stop texting so much. I swear every time I text 'Lol' to you I come that much closer to saying it instead of laughing.''

''Me too, ha, okay, I should go, see you tomorrow?''

''I'll be waiting with pop tart.''

''Thanks, bye.''

Bella was thankful Angelia gave her breakfast every morning, Phil only left enough money every day for some food, in which Renée would go to the store and buy something, there was never enough, and Bella felt bad about mooching off of Angelia, but her mother needed strength if she was to face Phil all the time. But just the mention of food had Bella in a bad state of depression Phil had enough money so they could live comfortably, if only he would spend it. Renée didn't work, Phil didn't want her to.

Bella fell asleep clutching her phone, the only piece of sanity in her world. The only thing she was thinking was Wednesday couldn't come soon enough. She was selfish enough to admit she couldn't wait . . .for the food. Something other than stuff that comes out of a can.

**There we are! She leaves in three chapters from now, so bear with me and please review, I loved the sentences some of you came up with, the offer still stands, if you can't think of a sentence with the word **_**drink **_**in it just say the word, I will send you the Edward chapter if I haven't already. Thank you ;)xxx**

**-BATTM**


	5. Chapter 5: The Fifth

_**Dawn Hunters.**_

_**Chapter 5: The Fifth.**_

Wednesday, mid-week, it was now Bella's favourite day. Tuesday felt like hell, the whole day dragged, that morning she had woken to find an outfit almost identical to the one Victoria had (even shoes), only with a hoodie. But Wednesday was the best, on her doorstep was what she had to admit was a weird gift. It wasn't school stuff, or anything related to school. But it was . . .toiletries? it was strange, shampoo, conditioner, soap, deodorant, a hair brush, and beauty products. What was it about? They were either trying to send a message, or they were just giving her crap she already had (her mother had, she just used).

As she got the things she put them into the suitcase, hiding it under her bed each time, she was slightly worried as to if she got something that night if her mother would get it or not, but it didn't matter.

Bella had only been in Angelia's room a few times, she got the box room while her brothers got to share the slightly bigger one. Angela's walls were painted a dark purple. The floor wooden, there was a shelf on the wall beside her door, full of DVD's and second hand books.

''I'm just still amazed Step Bastard let you leave the lair.''

Angelia snapped Bella out of her dazed state, Bella noticed how quiet the house was. ''Me too, where's your family.''

Angelia shrugged. ''I don't know, family bonding time? Thank god you're here, B, family bonding time sounds depressing.''

''Glad to be of help.'' Bella shrugged.

''I was going to get popcorn for the movie, but I am just so sick of popcorn, it's like it's everywhere.'' Angelia said, flipping through her playlist and putting her phone on shuffle.

''It's true.''

''Stop with the one liners.'' Angelia snorted. ''What's wrong with you today, wait what date is it?'' she blanched, trying not to panic.

''Two weeks ahead of the day you're thinking.'' Bella answered, and Angelia visibly relaxed. ''Amanda Meyer keeps trying to talk to me.'' Amanda was the sister to Miles, who was dating Heidi, and no doubt wanted to squeeze some information from Bella about that night before she left.

She had tried talking to all of them at some point, but gave up in January, Bella think's it was Miles birthday that stopped her. They were all avoiding her no matter the cost, no one knew, maybe they should tell her. Bella had thought over this a million times, Miles was her brother, she deserved to know what happened that night, the night he went out and never came back. But it was hard to talk about it, hell, they hadn't even talked about it to each other.

''Two weeks.'' Angelia said. ''I am such a crappy friend, God, I'm going to call you every day.'' She nodded, Bella smiled.

''I'll talk to you every Saturday than?''

''You know me so well.'' Angelia sniffled, pretending to cry. ''Your life will be immensely boring without me in it.''

''Everyone's life is boring without an Angelia in it.'' Bella replied, sitting on Angelia's bed. ''though in this case _boring _isn't exactly _bad_.''

''I'm wounded, Bella, wounded.''

''Yes, well, what's your favourite color?'' Bella didn't know why she felt compelled to change the subject. Maybe because her choices were to either say that or reply, 'so am I' which would lead to a whole other round of questions.

''Random. Dark, midnight, metallic blue. You?''

''Blue.'' Bella's lips curled up. ''I wanted to ask you random questions I should know, because, well, there is no time.''

It had finally hit Bella that this was one of the last times she would be alone with Angelia to talk, or ask questions, or anything, she tried not to think about it, Angelia was the worst and only bad part of leaving.

Angelia realized where Bella's thoughts were headed, and quickly started saying something distracting. ''Most embarrassing moment; Third grade, it had rained slightly that day, but I thought the ground was okay to walk on, I walked onto that muddy grass and my poor skirt never knew the mud that hit it.''

Bella laughed, the rest of the night went like that, them telling stupid things that they already knew but were funnier the second time round. They also watched movies, not that Bella wanted to, and Angelia didn't want to watch the movies either . . .just the actors. They ordered peperoni pizza, and they had to be honest, they stalked the hell out of some actors, because they couldn't when Bella was in New York, things would change.

It was four a.m. before it all came out, Angelia lying on the right side of the bed, wearing an old talk top and fluffy pink pajamas pants that had lost their fluff. Bella on the left, wearing a ripped T-shirt and a spare pair of Angelia's meant-to-be-fluffy-but-weren't pajamas, Bella had forgotten (cough, didn't have any) Pj's, so stole Angelia's.

The two girls lay there with stinging tired eyes, _trying to sleep, _they swear they were trying. Bella had never been a situation where silence was this loud, she never even knew silence could be this loud, there was an elephant in the room neither were addressing, Bella had always hated that phrase, that there was an elephant in the room, but there was no other way to say how much they were avoiding the obvious.

Angelia started it.

''Is it selfish of me to admit that I want you to stay?''

''Yes, is it bad for me to admit staying crossed my mind?'' Bella asked, but she knew the answer, yes, yes it was.

''Oh my god!'' Angelia groaned, turning suddenly to face Bella. ''You can't think that, it's my job, yours is to worry about surviving the next few days and living in a different state, and for god sakes when you come home for Christmas if you don't have a man I'll kill you, also set me up.''

''What about Demetri?'' Bella whispered.

''Pussssh, B, he's not my boyfriend, I stopped even looking at him when he asked me to meet his parents, I can't do that, you know me.''

''Not really, you've only had one boy experience before Demetri.'' Bella said quietly. ''But you did dump Taylor after he insisted you have dinner with his family.''

''Yep.'' Angelia murmured. ''I don't do parents.''

''No, just their son's.''

''Son.'' Angelia corrected. ''don't twist words, or let my brothers hear you, if my dad found out he'd, I don't know, keep me locked in my room.''

''Shit could be worse.''

''It could.'' Angelia allowed, pausing for a moment. ''What are you going to do about the fifth?''

Bella shrugged, twisting her fingers together on her covered stomach. ''Nothing.'' Was her simple answer, what else would she say? That she was going to come home every fifth of the month? That would be stupid, and crazy, and utterly stupid.

Angelia froze, she even stopped breathing. ''What?'' she shrieked, turning to her, wide eyed.

''Keep it down you idiot, I don't need to go.''

''But it's tradition, you know how I feel about tradition.''

''Ang, who cares?'' Bella couldn't understand her problem, tradition? No, Angelia hated change, and Bella moving was bad enough.

''I care.'' Angelia breathed, she reached out and rested a hand on Bella's hand, Bella wanted to jerk away, but didn't, for her friends sake.

''You don't need to care.'' Bella's voice was harder than intended, and Angelia took her hand away, Bella was relieved but slightly hurt. She deserved it, what she said was harsh. ''I didn't mean that.''

''I know. You have to know, you have to see Jane, right, how different she's been since it happened?'' Bella knew what she was talking about. Jane put on a good face, but she was hurting as much as they all were. ''It was weird, you and me best friends, her and Jane best friends, but you and Heidi, you had the real connection, obviously, we know you hurt the most Bella, but we still hurt.''

''Everyone hurts.'' Bella said. ''Grief can't be overcome.''

''But it can be pushed aside.''

''Alec is pretty messed up too.'' Bella added, changing the subject. Of course he was, Miles was his best friend.

''We're all messed up, B. but are you really going to stop?''

''Chances to leave Step Bastard are like a blue moon, Ang.'' Bella said. ''Her grave won't move, it'll be there forever.'' Plus she knew she would still have visitors, every month on the fifth.

''I sure hope so.'' Angelia snorted. ''That's some creepy shit, if her grave moved.''

''She's laughing right now.'' Bella nodded into the darkness, pulling the covers up to her neck, she was getting the shivers. ''She's definitely laughing.''

Angelia's voice whispered into the night air. ''I hope she is.''

**Sorry this is late, I was very unmotavated to post this chapter, I started having doubts if I should continue or not, since I only got one review for last chapter, but then I got another and decided to see if anyone was reading this. I didn't have time to edit this, sorry, I will do it tomorrow, sorry for all the mistakes until then. I know this chapter was strangeish, lol anyway. Thank you ;)xxx**

**-BATTM**


	6. Chapter 6: Life

_**Dawn Hunters**_

_**Chapter 6: Life.**_

When Bella was five she was in a car crash. Her and Heidi were in the back of the car, talking about starting school, Bella could never forget anything about that day. Their mother was driving and they were the only vehicle involved, the only thing involved was a bend in the road. Heidi hit her head against the door, she was in hospital for a while after that, Renee was fine, and Bella was pinned in place by her seat belt. It cut into her neck and chest, she couldn't breathe, and she broke her arm; that, mixed with the fear for her family caused her to pass out. Gasping for air and struggling to breathe.

That was how she felt now.

Friday evening. The twenty-third of September. Twelve days before the fifth of October. Before the one year anniversary.

Bella would never wear black to her sister's grave, Heidi would have a canary, so Bella, like everyone else surrounding the grave, dressed casually. Apart from Jane, she believed you had to wear black.

''Do you ever think,'' Katie said, her red hair blowing in the wind, she shivered. ''how different life would be, how we would be, if it hadn't have happened?''

''All the time.'' Alec said quietly, staring down at the grave of Miles Dasher. ''Do you know how angry they would be if they knew we were even a bit sad that their gone?''

''Yes.'' Bella chuckled, Angela squeezed her hand. ''Heidi would kill me.''

''If she could rise from the dead and knock some sense into us about all the time we've wasted thinking about them, she would.'' Angela said. ''And I'd run screaming because dead bodies creep me out.''

''We know, Ang, we've been in the room when you watched _CSI _before.'' Jane rolled her eyes, she had black eye makeup painted on her eyelids, she really went all out with the black, even her lipstick was. Bella wouldn't be surprised if her underwear was black. ''We'd all run screaming, because then we would be insane, so screaming is rational.''

''You just said 'rational' and 'insane' in the same sentence.'' Alec noted. ''Miles would laugh.''

No, he wouldn't have, but none of the girls wished to burst Alec's bubble.

Bella brought the daises, she always brought the daises, and put them in-between the two headstones, as they were Heidi's favourite. No one knew if Miles even had a favourite flower, but he loved Heidi, and she loved daises, so _that _was a rationally insane thought.

''I'm sorry,'' Bella begun. ''that I made us visit twelve days before the fifth, and that I won't be here exactly a year after it happened. Thus resulting in us visiting twice in a month, you know how Heidi would hate the attention.''

Bella was not one of those people who spoke to grave stones, she could be, and she tried it once. She knelt down beside the white marble with a fake surname and spoke to stone, and grass, and earth, and air. Not to Heidi.

Well it never _felt _like she was talking to her twin sister who looked nothing like her, just to nothing. Bella kept a journal. Really it was a small, blue, school copy. And used it sometimes to write to her sister. Which might be crazier than just talking to a head stone, but it felt like that way, Heidi really listened.

''We're coming back on the fifth.'' Angela added, now she was talking to a head stone, to air. ''Because we can't miss the anniversary, this is for Bella.''

Yes, it was, this was Bella's chance to say goodbye to Heidi, but she couldn't do it without the group, none of them had gone to the grave by themselves, they had always gone together. They had always stuck together, even at the funeral, when they snuck Katie out of hospital in a wheelchair, she wasn't allowed to be discharged for another week. Alec had to push her. He was the only one without a broken arm, leg, wrist or ankle.

He was only lucky though, because he was cushioned, another thing for him to feel guilt over.

''Yeah.'' Bella nodded. ''So, Heidi, I am currently obsessing over 'somebody to you' by 'The Vamps' and 'Demi Lovato', you'd like it, and I feel slightly creeped.'' She muttered the last part, she had felt a pulling need to say something, even something pointless and trivial over a song.

Bella wouldn't be talking to air anytime soon, that was for sure.

Alec drove them home, he was the only one with a licence and car (okay, it was his mothers, one family car was all they had), he was the only one of them brave enough to move on from the accident, though he hadn't, and he wouldn't, not really, not fully.

Bella had rested her head on Angela's shoulder; she had a very comfy shoulder.

''I feel sick.'' Bella complained.

''Nerves.'' Angela said. ''You're just nervous.''

Bella was pale, paler than usual, her eyes were bloodshot though that had nothing to do with her skin complexion. ''Maybe I shouldn't go.''

''Maybe you should.'' Angela answered.

''You should.'' Jane said. ''don't stay in that house 'cause your nervous.''

Bella stopped breathing, how did she know? She definitely knew, she sounded angry, the thought of Bella staying was ludicrous, not under the circumstances.

''I don't want to leave you guys.'' Bella's brain found her mouth, somehow.

''You should want to leave.'' Katie said from her seat in front of Bella, she had shotgun.

''I want to leave,'' Bella insisted. ''just not you guys.''

''We are awesome.'' Alec nodded. ''I'll get you all in the morning to say goodbye.''

Bella hadn't even noticed they had stopped outside her house; she frowned, not wanting to leave.

''You don't have to.'' She jumped out of the car (which unfortunately meant she left her shoulder pillow as well)

''Oh, but don't we?'' Alec shouted as he drove away, the window down, head out, freezing his ass off.

When they left Alec's head was out the window, trying to look cool, looking more like he was going down on a roller coaster. Angela waved, she always did, Jane was frowning at her nails, Katie had been staring out the window. It was how Bella would remember them while she was away, looking like a group of misfits in a giant mom's seven seater car.

But the image was hilarious.

Phil was home when she walked through the door. It was past eight, she had been expecting him to be home, she hadn't been expecting the scene she had to witness when she walked through the door.

There was a broken vase.

There was dried blood.

There was bloody footprints.

She stepped around her mother's blood (it had to be her's) and into the kitchen, she should have gone to the basement, she knew that, but she made a b-line for the door.

Phil was sitting at the table, eating. Her mother was leaning against the counter, bandaging her hand.

Phil was sober.

Something was wrong.

_Bella should have left then._

''What happened?'' she asked.

_Or then._

Renee shook her head, telling her not to say anything.

''Are you okay?'' Bella demanded.

_Now was a perfect time to run._

''She's fine.'' Phil coughed, standing up, leaving his plate for Renee to clean.

_She should have left._

He was walking towards her.

_It's too late, _she thought, _here he is._

And he was there, in her face.

Or, his hand was.

He liked slapping her, it always hurt, but it was never bad enough to bruise, not usually. Tonight though, he decided to make an exception.

Bella's head was painfully wrenched to the side, her mouth was almost healed from Sunday night, this didn't help, she felt a pool of blood start to form in her mouth.

''Where were you?'' He spat, Bella tried to ignore the anger in his voice, she wouldn't let him get the better of him.

''I went to visit Heidi.'' Her voice cracked and she mentally slapped herself, he had gotten to her.

''You mean her grave?'' he sneered.

Renee was crying, she always cried when Heidi was mentioned.

Bella managed to roll her eyes, big mistake. ''Last time I checked, she was there.''

Her tone was dry, hadn't she been arguing with herself just moments ago how Heidi really wasn't there? Who cares, this was Phil, this was different.

His hand ended up on her upper arm, his fingers nearly fitting the whole way around, his grip was punishing, Bella tried not to flinch, if he didn't let go soon Bella was afraid blood flow would be cut off.

''Respect Isabella, learn it.''

She needed brownie points now, so she gritted out two words. ''Yes dad.''

He let her go, she probably had a bruise on her arm, the affected area was beating, like her heart, exactly like her heart, the blood finding its flow again. She wished she could fight back, she knew how, she and seen miss congeniality a million times, it was Angela's favourite movie, Bella only recently started wondering if it really was her favourite movie or if she just wanted Bella to know how to fight. It wouldn't make a difference, Phil was too strong, no matter how good a fighter Bella could ever became, she needed strength, she was too small.

Bella didn't rub her arm until she was lying back on her bed, where Phil couldn't see, while she lay there, she thought of a theory, one she decided to share with Angela, to hope she would listen.

Angela answered on the second ring.

''I'm too tired to make my voice a creepy whisper, so, I'll kill you in seven days.''

''Good to know, Ang, I have a stupid theory.''

''You and your freaking theory's,'' Angela muttered, Bella imagined her rolling her eyes. ''Go on.''

''You know how so many people say we never appreciate life, and we should start living each day as your last?''

''I've heard it being tossed around once or twice, continue.''

''Well, people who literally say they are going to live each day to the fullest, like it was their last, they all lie, straight up lie.''

''Really? I thought my dad only lied about quitting smoking.''

Bella smiled. ''I have found, that it is quite literally impossible to live each day to the fullest, everyone has a bad day, if a family member died do you not attend their funeral because you would rather go sky diving? No, you go to the damn funeral of the old woman you met twice, but you go, because she gave you money every Christmas and birthday, and you call her some crazy name, like old rich bitch, or something, but no one can live everyday doing something worth doing.''

''I can,'' Angela answered breezily. ''You're worth doing, wait, that didn't come out exactly like it was supposed to, but my point is, talking to you is worthwhile.''

''Why do I feel like you're trying to pick me up?''

''Because you're leaving tomorrow, and I had to get my feelings out,'' Angela deadpanned. ''What I just said. There was so much cheese, I cringed while saying it.''

''There was some cringing on this end. But my point is, I've always said I wanted to do something with my life, that I wouldn't do something stupid like mope around all day or off myself, but when I leave this house, like for real, I will probably just stay at home all day staring at my crappy fourth hand computer, at a blank screen, trying to wait for inspiration to hit, and it won't, I just don't want to be a failure.''

''Really? How could you be a failure with a fourth hand-me-down computer you don't even have yet?''

''I don't know,'' Bella said softly, a painful surge of emotion rang through her and logged in her chest, she found it hard to breathe. ''there are so many people on this earth. Do you ever feel like you have just been swallowed up by everything, there's so much we don't know, so many people we don't know, it's scary.''

''You had one of those moments, didn't you?'' Angela spoke softly, like she somehow knew Bella was on the verge of tears, she probably did.

''What moment?'' Bella sniffled, wanting to do nothing right then and there than scream and cry at how unfair life is, and can be.

''When you realize you are living, and how creepy it is, how there are people living a real life on the other side of the world, on the other side of town, people who have never met you, who know you as much as you know them. Thinking about it, really thinking about it, life is everywhere, I get those moments sometimes. I've done a crap job at explaining it, but it just hit's you, like _you are living, we all are. _Like, at the moment I am lying on my bed, and while I think you are doing the same, people all around the world are doing other things, getting up in the morning, clubbing, eating, fighting, in hospital. It's just some feeling that takes you over, your mind goes blank and dizzy, and you just think, _holy Fuck, we're living!''_

''That is one mighty fine realization, Ang, but I was thinking that this was going to be our last phone conversation in a while.'' Bella chuckled and Angela cracked up laughing.

''Are you dyeing?'' Angela questioned.

''No,'' Bella smiled. ''Are you?''

''Yes, I get closer every second. Is there phone reception in Chicago?'' Angela questioned, Bella coughed, yes there was, and in New York.

''Yes.''

''Well then, I don't see why we can't call each other.''

''We can,'' Bella laughed. ''I'm just a dope.''

''Yes, you are.''

''Oh, and Angela.''

''Yes, B?''

''Holy fuck,'' Bella couldn't keep a straight face and her voice was full of laughter. ''We're living!''

And hearing Angelia's laughter at her words made a bit of life course through Bella, and for the first time in a year, she felt hope.

**Sorry for any mistakes. My main question, should I continue? Anyway, if you did read this, thank you for putting up with my crazy imagination, Bella's leaving next chapter, I hope you're ready.**

'**Cause I'm not, I still have half a chapter to write ;)xxx**

**-BATTM**


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